Uzbekistan calls Baku Port a key link for cargo along Middle Corridor (Exclusive)

Photo: Press Service of the President of Uzbekistan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 15. Uzbekistan sees Azerbaijan and the Port of Baku as a key link for its cargo along the Middle Corridor, with freight volumes on the route doubling over five years to 1.2 million tons in 2025, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry told Trend in an exclusive interview.

The ministry provided the assessment on the prospects for developing regional transport and economic connectivity between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

"Azerbaijan (the Port of Baku) is a key link of the Middle Corridor for Uzbek cargo," the ministry said.

According to the ministry, relations between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, based on strategic partnership and alliance, are gaining practical momentum. Bilateral trade has tripled over the past five years, while the two countries have set a target of increasing trade turnover to $1 billion by 2030.

A joint investment company with capital of $500 million is also operating between the two countries, according to the ministry.

Uzbek cargo transportation along the Middle Corridor doubled over five years and reached 1.2 million tons in 2025, the ministry said.

The corridor's share of Uzbekistan's freight turnover with the European Union has also increased significantly. While the Middle Corridor accounted for 12% of Uzbekistan's EU-bound freight turnover in 2021, its share has now reached 28%, more than doubling over the period.

"Priority areas of cooperation include the accelerated launch of a joint fleet in the Caspian Sea, the integration of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway with the Middle Corridor, and further digitalization of transportation through e-Permit, e-CMR and eTIR," the ministry said.

In addition, the ministry highlighted Azerbaijan's participation in the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia.

According to the Uzbek side, Azerbaijan's participation "creates a basis for a unified transport space across the Eurasian region."